Your first shell is a feeling you don’t forget.
Ask any pentester about the first time a machine was theirs — they remember it. That’s what this course is built to give you: not a video to watch, not notes to memorize, but the real thing, on a real target, with your own hands. Most people never get past “someday.” You’re going to do it this week.
What makes this different
- We explain WHY it worked, not just how. Anyone can paste a command. We teach you to see the way in, so the skill carries to machines we never showed you.
- One box, ten ways in. We walk you through six — each a different kind of attack — then turn you loose to find four more. Real pentesters aren’t handed the door; they find it.
- Nothing to install. Your Kali runs in your browser. Open the link and you’re working.
- Your flags are yours. Every lab is uniquely tagged — answers can’t be copied. The only way to earn it is to do it.
The lab: one box, ten ways in
You’re the newest member of a pentest team. It’s the last day of the engagement, nothing’s been popped yet, and the client gave you the go-ahead. In front of you: one target, many doors. Your target runs Metasploitable2, a deliberately vulnerable machine published by Rapid7 and used by security learners worldwide — here as your own private, legal copy to practice on.
Prove it — earn your certificate
Capture six flags, from six different ways in, and you earn your Cover6: First Shell certificate — verifiable, and yours to share. Find all ten and you earn First Shell — Honors, the badge for the people who went looking.
Who this is for
- Total beginners who want to do, not just watch.
- Career-changers breaking into cybersecurity who need a real win to point to.
- Students who’ve read about hacking and want to feel it.
- Defenders curious about how the other side actually gets in.
No experience required. If you can open a browser, you can start.
How the lab works
Your time is built to be enough — and easy to extend if life gets in the way.
- Free — 24 hours. Enroll and pick when your window starts, so you use it awake, not asleep.
- Free re-run. Didn’t land all six in time? Your first re-run is on us — another full 24 hours, no charge.
- Keep going — $19 for 3 more days. Need more after that? A 3-day extension is $19, and you can grab as many as you need. No cap — if you’re putting in the work, we’re not going to stop you.
- Members save on what’s next. Buying an extension makes you a First Shell Extended member, which unlocks a standing discount on Pentester Prep Labs — the time you invest here comes back to you when you level up.
Where this leads
Every door here drops you onto one machine — and that’s exactly where a real engagement starts. The next step is Pentester Prep Labs: a real corporate network, the full attack chain, and the ending where you take the whole domain. It’s built to prepare you for the leading hands-on certs — eJPT, PNPT, and CEH Practical — and to build your foundation toward the field’s most advanced practical certifications.
FAQ
Is it really free? Yes. Enroll, land your first shell, earn the certificate — no cost.
Do I need to install anything? No. Your Kali and your target run in your browser.
How long do I have? A 24-hour live lab window, and you choose when it starts.
What if I run out of time? Your first re-run is free. After that, a 3-day extension is $19.
Do I need experience? None. The first door is designed to be a sure win.
What do I walk away with? A shell you landed six ways, a verifiable certificate, and a clear next step.
Land your first shell.
One target. Ten ways in. A certificate that says you did it — and the start of a whole new path. Come get your first one.
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